Letters in the editor’s mailbag

Monday

Jan 8, 2018 at 12:01 AM

Board needs to explain Berman era

Eugene School District Superintendent Sheldon Berman received “glowing” evaluations from the Eugene School Board in 2012 and 2013. The reporting of those evaluations focused on much-publicized changes initiated by Berman.

The changes continued in 2013-14, but the board didn’t give Berman another “glowing” evaluation — or any evaluation. Instead, it and Berman agreed to part ways after the 2014-15 school year.

What happened in 2013-14 that precipitated the end of Berman’s tenure? The Eugene community deserves an explanation.

Berman was hired in spite of warning signs from his former district, where the school board voted not to renew his contract. In hindsight, it appears the Eugene board may have done two superficial evaluations of the superintendent.

Were the two “glowing” evaluations not about the quality of Berman’s leadership but about making the board’s choice for superintendent look good?

Have any of Berman’s changes improved the district’s education of its students? If so, let the board publicly identify those improvements with data supporting the educational gains.

Has the Eugene district endured four years of change without making any significant improvements?

The changes cost the district valuable resources in terms of dollars and staff time. What did those expenditures produce?

Now we have to trust the same board members who chose Berman to find and hire our next superintendent.

Bob Mowrer

Eugene

Train sounds issue can be solved

There appears to be a very straightforward solution to the issue of train whistles in downtown Eugene that should satisfy those who find the sounds nostalgic and those who regard them as sleep-depriving noise.

To satisfy those opposed to the whistles, reroute the trains underground inside the city limits.

To placate nostalgia lovers, I would produce and sell a CD (or maybe a smartphone app) that would randomly play — during sleeping hours — various train sounds.

It would be a win-win solution and I’d make money. What’s more American than that?

Timothy Goss

Eugene

Powerful must fix power imbalance

James Hadd’s Jan. 3 letter concluded, “The real crime is liberalism itself,” which means the real crime is that everyone doesn’t believe as he does.

Like all ultraconservatives, what Hadd fails to understand is that the line between good and evil, right and wrong, and black and white is not fixed.

Some actions are clearly evil, and some are clearly good. But in human relations, when there’s a power imbalance such as that between the police (who represent the state) and young black men (who, along with the poor, the drug-addicted and the mentally ill, are usually at the mercy of police), righting the imbalance is the responsibility of the more powerful side, not the weaker side.

It’s also to their advantage if they want to avoid anarchism, revolt and social unrest.

The sooner conservatives (and liberals) who are stuck on being “right” get that point, the better. Then maybe the country can get back on track and resume doing things for the common good, establish equal justice and equitably distribute America’s wealth.

Jacqueline Chama

Eugene

Restaurateur story shone brightly

I want to compliment The Register-Guard for Bob Welch’s Jan. 4 column on Shawn Rahimian (“Setting up surprise half the fun”). It was a breath of fresh air to read such a positive story, and one that was so richly true.

I had the privilege of working on the Rahimians’ current restaurant before I retired from McIntyre Construction, and everything Welch wrote about Shawn and Sue Rahimian was true.

After their opening I would go to the restaurant every once in awhile and without fail was always greeted with a warmth one doesn’t usually expect in a restaurant.

There are good people and good stories out there. We become so jaded by the news of countless tragedies and disasters in the world that following the news can become a Herculean chore.

I appreciate Welch and The Register-Guard for shining a bright light on an otherwise dismal Sunday morning.

David Wright

Eugene

Beltline bridges should be replaced

I’m concerned about the Randy Papé Beltline bridges over the Willamette River. They aren’t earthquake-proof, and if an earthquake occurred west Eugene would be cut off from east Eugene and Springfield.

Both bridges are very old and at the end of their useful lives. In addition to needing new bridges, we also need more traffic-carrying capacity on Beltline so it won’t be so congested.

The congestion is currently costing drivers time and money as well as being a high-risk area for vehicle accidents. It also leads to more air pollution and wastes fuel.

Kyle Sorensen

Eugene

Let’s restore missing peace plaque

On a recent outing to Alton Baker Park, my dog Bailey and I passed the Nobel Peace Prize memorial and noticed that one plaque space is completely blank. People new to the park must wonder about the void.

They might be unaware that shortly after the park opened, some cretin, under cover of darkness, decided to let everyone know how much he or she hated our president by crudely and obscenely damaging his plaque beyond repair.

I remember the sad and frustrating feelings I had at the time; it was a huge embarrassment. The gesture of hatred had no place in a space set aside for thoughts of human attempts to achieve peace. I mentioned to Bailey how unfortunate it was that the continued existence of the void leave one feeling as if the forces of intolerance somehow won the day.

There must be forces at play that I’m not aware of to restore the missing plaque. After all, if someone tags a public building, we don’t tear the building down so it can’t happen again — we become angry, we stand up against vandalism and we restore it to its original appearance.

I told Bailey that peace is achieved by standing up to groups that attempt to force their intolerant agendas of hate on all of us, but Bailey seemed more interested in the ducks and geese than in my spontaneous ramblings on world peace.

Tom Nice

Eugene

Reconsider new YMCA tennis courts

Pray tell, why is Oregon so oblivious to tennis?

Tennis is fascinating to watch, a shining example of athletes who have honed their craft and their bodies so they can deliver impeccable performances. For a state that seems to be sports-minded, I’m shocked tennis gets such short shrift from the powers that be.

I refer specifically to the recent decision to cancel plans for including tennis courts in the new Eugene Family YMCA facility.

The reasons given for the decision seem flimsy to me. I admit to knowing nothing about business matters but, ultimately, the almighty dollar always seems to rule.

Oregonians don’t seem inclined to pinch pennies when it comes to building football stadiums or basketball arenas.

Whoever’s charged with making the decisions on the new YMCA building should rethink the decision not to fund new tennis courts.

We may have another Roger Federer in our midst, but will there be a court for him to play on?

Sally Abeyta

Bandon

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